Space-bar for line-casting machines



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. s. SGUDDER. SPACE BAR FOR LINE CASTING MACHINES.

No. 494,899. Patented Apr. 4, 1893.

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(No Model.

W S SOUDDER SPAGB BAR PORLLINB CASTING MACHINES. No. 494,899.

Patented Apr. 4

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' W. S. SOUDDER.-

SPACE BAR FOR LINE OASTING MACHINES.

No. 494,899. PatentedApn, 1893; 7

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UNITED STATES PATENT SPACE-BAR FOR LINE-CASTING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 494,899, dated April 4,1893. Application filed November 3, 1892. Serial No. 450,838- (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILBUR STEPHEN Soun- DER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of NewYork, have invented new and useful Improvements in Space-Bars forLine-Gasting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to appliances or means for justifying composedlines of type, more particularly that class of machines for makingtype-bars wherein female dies or matrices representing the requiredcharacters are assembled in a line in proximity to a mold supplied with.molten metal for the purpose of casting or producing a bar having. onits edge the characters represented by the female dies or matrices. Inmachines involving this principle of operation the matrices are selectedand released from a magazine through the medium of suitable mechanismcontrolled by the keys of a key-board and are arranged in the order oftheir selection on an assembling support in juxtaposition to the mold.To produce lines of type of equal length the spacing is changed afterthe line of matrices is assembled or composed and ordinarily this iseffected by wedge-shaped or stepped spacer bars adjusted lengthwisebetween the matrices to expand the line andthereby justify the same. Thefrequent lengthwise movements of the spacenbars in superficial contactwith the sides of the matrices is objectionable and to avoid thissliding contact, and to provide anew and improved spacer, is one of themain objects of the present invention.

The invention also has for its object to provide a novel spacer which bylateral expansion will effect a positive adjustment of the matrices andwhich is susceptible of variation as regards its thickness to meet theconditions required so that the word-spaces may be formed after the lineis set up, or formed partly during the assembling of the matrices andsubsequently varied to suit the requirements of each particular case.

The invention also has for its object to provide a novel spacer whichmay be set at the minimum number of points of space during theassemblage of the matrices and adjusted by lateral expansion as the endof the line of matrices is nearly reached to increase the spaces to themaximum, or toapoint between maximum and minimum for the purpose ofeifecting the j ustification in a simple, expeditions and efficientmanner.

The invention also has for its object to provide a new and improvedspacer which is susceptible of being handled or manipulated mechanicallyby the mechanism employed to assemble and distributethe matrices.

To accomplish all these objects my invention consists in the features ofconstruction and the combination or arrangement of devices hereinafterdescribed and claimed, reference being made to the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1, is awperspective view of a spacerconstructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2, is a perspectiveview of one of the matrices. Fig. 3, is a longitudinal sectional view ofthe spacer. Fig. 4, is a similar view in a plane at right angles to theplane of section of Fig. 3. Fig. 5, is an edge view showing the spacerin its normal or contracted position. Fig. 6, is a detail sectional viewshowing the spacer arranged between matrices and expanded. Fig. 7, is adetail elevation showing a portion of a line of matrices with several ofthe spacers in position and one of them expanded. Fig. 8, is a detailsectional view showing mechanism typical of that which can be employedfor operating the expander section of the spacer. Fig. 9, is an edgeview of a spacer showing a modification of the invention. Fig. 10,'is aside elevation of the same. Fig. 11, is an edge view of a spacer showinganother modification; and Fig. 12, is a detail perspective view of theexpander employed in the construction exhibited by Fig. 11. v

In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use my inventionI will now describe the same in detail, referring to the drawingswherein it will be observed that the spacer is composed essentially oftwo sections 1 and 2, one of which is designed to remain stationarybetween two adjacent matrices, while the other one is susceptible of adjustment or movement to expand the stationary section, which lattercomprises a pair of approximately parallel elastic members or cheekpieces 4, formed integral with or other- Wise provided between a shankportion 2 and an upper terminal or end portion 5 having a lateralsupporting lug 6. The two parts composing the shank portion 2 aredesigned to be rigidly connected by a filling piece or block 2 to whichthe cheek pieces are secured by riveting, brazing, or otherwise afterthe adjustable expander section 1 has been properly introduced betweenthe elastic members or check pieces. The expander section 1 isconstructed with a rectilinear slot or opening 9 having parallel edgesbearing against the edges of the shank portion 2 and the upper endportion of this expander section is formed integral or otherwiseprovided with marginal ribs 3 and 3, formed as stepped portions whichsuccessively increase in thickness for the purpose of more or lessexpanding or spreading the elastic members or check. pieces 4 when theexpander section is adjusted or moved in the proper direction. Thenumber of steps of the longitudinal marginal ribs 3 and 3 whichsuccessively increase in thickness, may be varied according torequirements, but as here illustratedlhave provided two steps orsuccessively increasing expanding portions of the marginal ribs 3 and 3.The elastic members or check pieces are connected together at their endsand constantly tend to come together by their inherent elasticity andwhen the expander section 1 is adj usted or moved so that the thinextremity 3 lies directly between the cheek pieces 4, the spacer,Fig. 1. occupies the least space as regards its thickness. The elasticmembers or check pieces may, however, be gradually expanded or spreadapart for justifying purposes by adjusting or moving the expandersection 1 lengthwise in the proper direction to place the stepped orexpanding portion of the ribs 3 directly between the cheek pieces tosecure'what may be termed the first expansion and. ubsequen tly thethickness of the spacer can be increased by adjusting or moving thestepped or expanding portion of the ribs 3 between the cheek pieces. Inall adjustments of the expander section the cheek pieces remainparallel,orsubstantially so and therefore the line of matrices'isaccurately and nicely adjusted or justified without danger of moving anymatrix out of true perpendicular position. By nniformlyexpanding the twocheek pieces of the expansible section through the medium of aninterposed expander of suitable construction, I entirely avoid wearingor damaging the matrices incident to sliding a spacer in contact withthe sides of the matrices, and furtherIrender the operation more easy bymaterially reducing friction.

The rectilinear slot or opening 9 produces parallel side-bars 9 whichlie outside the edges of the shank portion 2, and the steps, orsuccessively expanding portions are in the :form of the narrow marginalribs 3 and 3, by which frictional contacting surfaces with the elasticmembers of cheek pieces 4, are reduced, and the ribs have no directcontact with the inner surfaces of those elastic portions of the shank 2which are below the cheek pieces 4. This construction materially reducesfriction and enables the cheek pieces or bearings to be expanded withoutexpanding to the same degree or extent thoseportions of the elasticshank below the parallel cheek pieces or bearings.

In the construction shown and described, the two elastic members orcheek pieces are united at their upper end portions, above the expander,to the arm-like portion 5, and at their lower end portions to the shankportions 2, these shank portions being connected by the filling block 2or otherwise, through the slot 9 in the expander section 1. By thismeans the strength, durability and efficiency of the spacer arematerially increased and the elastic members or cheek-pieces are causedto more positively and accurately return to their normal position whenthe expander is moved for the contraction of the spacer. The connectionof the elastic members or cheek pieces above and below, as" explained,also provides for their more accurate separation in parallel orsubstantially parallel planes, and this renders the spacer practicablein casting perfect type bars from molten metal.

The matrices 12 are preferably of the construction wherein one edge isprovided with a series of intaglio characters as at 13, and the oppositeedge with a series of projections 14, while the shank 15 is formed orconstructed with a hook 16, for supporting the matrix while beingdistributed. This construction is the same or similar to that describedin my separate application for patent now pending and therefore furtherexplanation is not deemed essential.

The upper end portions 5 of the spacers are also provided with books 10by which they are susceptible of being handled mechanically andwithdrawn from and returned to the magazine by mechanism the same as, ornot specially distinct from that employed to withdraw, assemble anddistribute the matrices.

The elastic portions of the expansible section are separated by a slot 8above the cheek pieces 4, to accommodate the upper end portion of theexpander portion and to secure the desired elasticity of the-parts.

In the construction describedand illustrated in Figs. 1, 3, 4, 5, 7 and8, the spacer is capable of two distinct expansions, first by thestepped or expanding portions 8 and second bythe ribs 3, Wherebyaword-space, or other space may be formed in part during the assemblingof the matrices and subsequently varied to suit the conditions orrequirements of each particular case. Where the end portion 3 of theexpander cannot be adjusted or moved below the cheek pieces 4, thecontraction of the spacer is somewhat limited, but this limitation maybe avoided by constructing the expander section 1 in such manner that itcan be adjusted or moved lengthwise to such extent that the end portion3 can be withdrawn from between the cheek pieces, as in the modificationFigs. 9 and 10, thereby permitting the cheek pieces 4 to spring or cometogether so that the contraction of the spacer is only limited by thethickness of'the metal or material composing the cheek pieces. In thisconstruction the end portion 3 serves for the initial expansion andconsequently the spacer is susceptible of three distinct adj ustments orexpansions.

In all the constructions thus far specifically described the cheekpieces are designed to have parallel inner and outer surfaces and to beexpanded or separated in parallel lines by the successively thickened orexpanding portions of the marginal ribs 3 and 3, which may have parallelfaces. In the modifications Figs. 11 and 12, however, the outer surfacesof the cheek pieces may be parallel and the innor surfaces inclinedrelatively to each other so that they will co-operate with the taperingor wedge-shaped ribs or expanding portions 28 of an expander section 27,for spreading or expanding the cheek pieces in substantially parallellines.

The spacer affords positive adjustment of the matrices assembled in aline and its thickness is susceptible of considerable variation to meetall the conditions required whether the word-spaces or other spaces beformed after the line is set up, or partly during the assembling of thematrices and partly after the line has been composed.

During the assemblage of the matrices the spacer may be set at theminimum thickness and be subsequently adj nsted by lateral expansion asthe end of the line of matrices is reached for the purpose of increasingthe spacer to its maximum thickness, or to a point between maximum andminimum. The particular manner of using the spacer may, however,bevaried according to circumstances and whether it is expanded wholly orpartially before or after the lineis completely composed is notmaterial.

The supporting lug 6. on the upper end portion 5 of the expansiblesection is particularly designed to engage the assembling support or barof a machine for producing type bars. The construction of the assemblingsupport or bar may be largely varied, but for the purpose ofillustrating a suitable construction for supporting the matrices and thespacers and for adjusting the expandersections of the spacers, I haveincluded Figs. 7and 8 in the drawings. In these figures the numeral 17indicates the assembling support or bar having an attached cap plate orflange 1U,for the purpose of forming a groove into which the lugs 6project. The support or bar 17 may also be provided with a lateral rib18 against which shoulders on the matrices and spacers may hear.

The expander section 1 may be raised to laterally expand the expansiblemembers or cheek pieces by any suitable contrivances, but as typical ofone mechanism which may be employed for this purpose, I exhibit in Fig.8 a lever 20 fulcrumed at one end to a supporting bracket 22 by a pivot21, and having at its opposite end an arm 26 which lies directly beneaththe lower end of the expander section 1 of a spacer. The lever '20 isacted upon by a spring 23, or other mechanism or appliance, for thepurpose of lifting it and thereby causing the arm 26 to move theexpander section 1 in an upward direction. The lever 20 is provided witha friction roller 24 in proximity to its pivot 21 and with this frictionroller is adapted to engage a cam 25 having alternating cam projectionsand depressions, so that when one of the projections bears against thefriction roller the end of the lever carrying the arm 26 is depressedand when the friction roller enters one of the depressions the spring 23operates to lift the lever.

A more detailed description of the lever and cam mechanism is not deemedessential in that it is fully explaained in my pending applicationhereinbefore alluded to.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isl. A spacer,consisting of laterally expansible members or cheek-pieces, and an adjustable expander section having longitudinal, marginal, expanding ribslocated between the said members or cheek pieces and constructed toseparate the latter in approximately parallel planes, substantially asdescribed.

2. A spacer, consisting of an elastic, laterally expansible sectioncomprising approximately parallel members or check pieces, and anexpander provided with projecting, longitudinal ribs having a series ofexpanding portions which operate to separate the members or check piecesin approximately parallel planes, substantially as described.

3. A spacer, consisting of an expanding section, and laterallyexpansible members or check pieces unitedat their upper and lower endportions and between which united upper and lower end portions theexpanding parts of the expander are located, substantially as described.

4. A spacer, consisting of a longitudinally slotted expander sectionhaving marginal ribs, and a section composed of elastic members orcheek-pieces and a shank portion with longitudinal parallel edgeslocated between and bearing against thelongitudinalparallel edges of theslot in the expander section, substantially as described.

5. A spacer, consisting of an expander section having a longitudinalslot, parallel side bars and expanding portions above the longitudinalslot, and elastic members or cheekpieces having a shank portion providedwith longitudinal outer edges bearing against inslotted expander sectionhaving marginal ribs formed as stepped portions between which the bodyof said section is reduced in' thick:- ness, and a pair of connected,laterally expansible members orcheekpieces against which the marginalribs operate to more or less expand said members or cheek-pieces,substantially as described.

8. A spacer, consisting of laterally expansible members or cheek-piecesconnected together at their upper and lower end portions and provided atthe upper end portion with means whereby they are rendered susceptibleof mechanical manipulation in assembling and distributing, and anexpander section having its expanding portions located be tween thelaterally expansible members or cheek-pieces, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

WILBUR-S. SOUDDER.

Witnesses:

ALBERT H. NoRRIs, I GEO. W. REA.

